LEO HEIDRA THE WOMEN DURING THE POLAR NIGHT AT THE ICE MUSEUM ON MARCH 8.
Once again, the Ishavsmuseet can note a full house in its hall of genuine polar history. With over 150 in the hall, this was a new success for the museum. Director Webjørn Landmark welcomed all polar friends, and congratulated all the women in the hall on their day.
The evening's speaker was the well-known writer and speaker Leo Oterhals from Aukra. He captivated the audience from the very beginning.
He started his lecture by telling stories from his first visits to Brandal in meetings with the old Arctic sea captains such as Bernt Brandal. Also about his meetings with Henrik Landmark. Oterhals promised to honor the women behind all these polar heroes, as befits Women's Day itself. And he started with Bernt's answer when he was once asked who his hero was. "Yes, it was my mother," replied Bernt, who at the age of 15 traveled with his father on his first Arctic sea voyage, and his mother was left on the quayside with her responsibility for the house and home. It couldn't always be easy.
Oterhals also touched on major shipwrecks, drama in the ice, about the boy who came home with 60 kroner in a lottery ticket after a tough Arctic sea voyage only to be sent straight into the Navy and straight into war. He touched on the sinking of Polarbjørn and further shipwrecks with Herøyfjord and about the drama when Flemsøy barely reached the rescue and rescued the people.
We also heard about the hostage drama in Tromsø and the construction of the Jan Mayen station, where Nordahl Grieg read poetry to the Norwegian people over the airwaves from the newly established station, and Runne Johan held the microphone for him.
Leo then came to Runnje Karen, who was sitting at home with responsibility and waiting for news. She could stand as a worthy representative of those who were sitting at home and making a tremendous effort for their home and village. They were strong women! It was usually like that, the male polar heroes were more likely to be told about their exploits, while you heard little about the woman who was behind it and kept the family together. Oterhals then naturally came across Roald Amundsen, who had close connections to the Brandølings. He was also someone who knew how to exploit women, with the complications that it meant having to balance between three women, she Siggen in Norway, she Kiss in London and she Bess in Alaska. We got to hear about all the mistakes Amundsen made over the years, much because of his penchant for women, and how Fridtjof Nansen pressured him to keep his promise to conquer the northern territories.
Amundsen borrowed a boat, got a plane and crew on board and sailed north. And who was waiting for him up there in Svalbard? Peter S Brandal!
There came those heroes, Roald Amundsen, Riiser Larsen, Lincoln Ellsworth and all the others, and were met by a Brandalian who welcomed them warmly to Brandal City! Up there, Peter S Brandal had established a large-scale coal operation, it was something other than being at home digging peat in the bogs and chopping wood in the forest behind the barn in his hometown, said Leo.
Peter S. Brandal had established a friendship with Amundsen, and now he offered the polar heroes the use of the villa that Brandal had in Brandal City.
And who was it that fed and looked after all these heroes, yes it was Berta Nesset Aam, housekeeper to Peter, along with Eldrid from Mo i Rana. Berta was a fantastic woman who should definitely be mentioned as one of the most important and bravest polar women. He told vividly about how she came running with packed lunches for all these celebrities when they were about to set off for the North Pole, "but you can't travel without packed lunches!"
Furthermore, Oterhals came across Miss Boyd and her exploits and expeditions with the ships Hobby and Veslekari. Although Lisjenes-Pål was impressed by her, she was probably an exciting woman for these Arctic pioneers. He once said, among other things, "there are many nice curves here in the north, and I don't look at the mountains!"
Oterhals also visited the Swedish polar hero Andree, where there is also a strong story about a woman who sat at home waiting for her beloved Nils to come home. It was Anna, who hung her gold necklace around her Nils' neck when he left, and whom Sevrin Skjelten found again on Kvitøya when, 30 years after the Andree expedition disappeared, they found their remains up there in the ice. They also found diaries that told the drama and about the longing for their loved ones. About the golden heart and about Psalm 103, which so powerfully tells of faith and love. "These women that I have now told about and honored this evening," concluded Leo Oterhals' lecture, "had hearts of gold, and these women created heaven on earth for all those who belonged to them, and who knew what it took to protect home, family and people."
Leo Oterhals received great applause from the audience, and director Webjørn Landmark presented him with a book as a thank you for a great lecture. Rarely has an hour passed so quickly here at the museum, said Webjørn, adding that this was a worthy way to honor the women of the Arctic.
Afterwards, delicious Arctic seafood, salted meat, pork and pea soup were served. Nearly 80 portions were served! People of all ages stayed up to chat and chat throughout the evening and for this ref. it is extra exciting to see all the new faces who come from the whole district, yes all the way from Nordfjord. It is clear that this is the dissemination of polar history at its very best!
